How To Breathe
by EvanlynPotter
Summary: With the Tri-Wizard Tournament hanging over his head, his personal life in a disarray and the press watching his every move, Harry's is going to have to rethink everything he thought he knew. From how to love, to how to fight, to how to breathe.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. **

**A/N: Hi, I know this is yet another fanfiction on my unfinished list but the plot bunny attacked. You know what that's like, right? Lol.**

**NEW A/N: (IMPORTANT) Firstly, thanks so much to all of my reviewers! Whether you flamed or encouraged me, it means a lot that you cared enough to review. Now that I've read all of them, I've edited the parts of this chapter that people thought didn't sound right/in character/ect. and changed them while trying to keep all the parts that people liked. If you like the change, please email me if it won't let you review again. Thanks again!**

'Well, well, well,' said the Fat Lady, 'Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?'

'_Balderdash,' said Harry dully._

'_It most certainly isn't!' said the pale witch indignantly._

'_No, no, Vi, it's the password,' said the Fat Lady soothingly and she swung forwards on her hinges to let Harry into the common room._

_The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backwards. Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Gryffindor house, all of whom were screaming, applauding and whistling._

'_You should've told us you'd entered!' bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed._

'_How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!' roared George._

'_I didn't,' Harry said. 'I don't know how –'_

_But Angelina had now swooped down upon him. 'Oh, if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor –'_

'_You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!' shrieked Katie Bell, another of the Gryffindor Chasers._

'_We've got food, Harry, come and have some –'_

'_I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast –'_

_But nobody wanted to hear that he wasn't hungry; nobody wanted to hear that he hadn't put his name in the Goblet; not one single person seemed to have noticed that he wasn't at all in the mood to celebrate … Lee Jordan had unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere, and he insisted on draping it around Harry like a cloak. Harry couldn't get away; whenever he tried to sidle over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed ranks, forcing another Butterbeer, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands … everyone wanted to know how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line, and managed to get his name into the Goblet…_

'_I didn't,' he said, over and over again, 'I don't know how it happened.'_

_But for all the notice anyone took, he might as well not have answered at all._

'_I'm tired!' he bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour. 'No, seriously, George – I'm going to bed –'_

_He wanted more than anything to find Ron and Hermione, to find a bit of sanity, but neither of them seemed to e in the common room. Insisting that he needed to sleep, and almost flattening the little Creevey brothers as they attempted to waylay him at the foot of the stairs, Harry managed to shake everyone off, and climbed up to the dormitory as fast as he could._

_To his great relief, he found Ron was lying on his bed in the otherwise empty dormitory, still fully dressed. He looked up when Harry slammed the door behind him._

'_Where've you been,' Harry said._

'_Oh, hello,' said Ron._

_He was grinning, but it looked a very odd, strained sort of grin. Harry suddenly became aware that he was still wearing the scarlet Gryffindor banner that Lee had tied around him. He hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it._

'_So,' he said, when Harry had finally removed the banner and thrown it into a corner. 'Congratulations.'_

'_What d'you mean, congratulations?' said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was smiling; it was more like a grimace._

'_Well … no one else got across the Age Line,' said Ron. 'Not even Fred and George. What did you use – the Invisibility Cloak?'_

'_The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line,' said Harry slowly._

'_Oh, right,' said Ron. 'I thought you might've told me if it was the Cloak … because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?'_

'_Listen,' said Harry, 'I didn't put my name in that Goblet. Someone else must've done it.'_

_Ron raised his eyebrows. 'What would they do that for?'_

'_I dunno,' said Harry. He felt it would sound very melodramatic to say 'to kill me'._

_Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair._

'_It's OK, you know, you can tell _me_ the truth,' he said. 'If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all, Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end of year tests either…'_

'_I didn't put my name in that Goblet!' said Harry, starting to feel angry._

'_Yeah, OK,' said Ron, in exactly the same skeptical tone as Cedric. 'Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you … I'm not stupid, you know.'_

'_You're doing a really good impression of it,' Harry snapped._

'_Yeah?' said Ron, and now there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. 'You want to get to bed, Harry, I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photocall or something.' _With that, Ron got up and stalked out the door, slamming it behind him. Harry stared at the door for a second. '_Where the hell does he get off?!'_ He thought furiously, pulling off his shirt and spinning around to search for his pajama top.

HPGW HPGW HPGW HPGW HPGW

Ginny watched Harry flee from the scene of the celebration, then as Ron stalked down the stairs moments later from her relatively peaceful hideaway in the corner of the common room.

Her eyes flicked over to the staircase that Hermione had just stormed up to read her book in a place that didn't sound like a 'bunch of animals during mating season' as she mentally debated whether she should fetch her, before she stood and headed up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Pushing open the door, she entered the room.

'Harry?' Ginny said uncertainly. Harry started. '_What's Ginny doing in my dorm?' _He stepped out from behind his bed and turned to her, forgetting his lack of a shirt. She was standing in the doorway biting her lip.

'Hey Gin,' He said casually, not quite knowing what to expect from this encounter with the youngest of the Weasley clan.

'Hey,' she paused, 'You ok?'

'I'm fine. So what's going on?' Harry said, sitting down and gesturing to Ginny to join him.

'Not much, don't change the subject Harry; it doesn't work on me,' she replied, not skipping a beat.

'Yeah, too many brothers teaching you how to find stuff out that you're not supposed to know,' she grinned.

'Probably,' turning serious she continued, 'what happened with Ron?'

'Nothing,'

'And I'm a squib, Harry.' She said. 'Just tell me what happened, you know I'll get you to talk sooner or later and it may as well be sooner.'

'You never know, I might be able to keep my mouth shut this time,' Harry said, referring to their habit of finding each other on the sofa in the common room in the middle of the night and spilling their guts.

'Pigs might fly,' Ginny said, 'and besides, you know talking about it will help, it always does,'

'We're in the magical world; bet you anything someone's put wings on a pig before,' Ginny rolled her eyes.

'Yeah, but not on multiple pigs, Harry would you just tell me what happened so that I've got a veritable reason to yell at Ron for something I know he's done,' she pleaded. Harry sighed over dramatically, the corners of his mouth twitching.

'Well you'll either hear my version now or be poisoned by Ron's version later. Long story short, Ron's being a prat.' Ginny rolled her eyes,

'As in clueless prat or downright nasty prat?'

'Downright nasty,' he said.

'What did he say?' she asked sympathetically.

'He said that it was 'OK for me to tell _him_ the truth' and that it was 'fine if I didn't want everyone else to know' and how he 'didn't get why I was bothering to lie because it wasn't like I was in trouble'' he fumed.

'Ouch, that was harsh,' Ginny said.

'I just don't get it, he's always believed me. He's never – I mean – not even when everyone thought I was the Heir of Slytherin -' he broke off abruptly as Ginny flinched. 'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring that up.'

'No, it's OK, I don't mind,' she said quietly.

'You're still not over it.' It wasn't a question.

'I will be. It's not like I'm constantly thinking about it or anything, I just haven't managed to completely forget about it,' she replied.

'Do you,' he paused, apparently searching for the right words, 'have nightmares or, you know?'

'Not every night, just once in a while,' she said.

'Is there anything I can do-?'

'Nah, forget I said anything, doesn't matter.' She said, trying to brush his concern away. Harry bit his lip but changed the subject.

'So, where's Hermione?'

'In her dorm, reading, she says the common room's too loud.'

Fair enough,' he said. They sat there for a minute, letting a comfortable silence fall over them. That was one of the things he liked about Ginny; she didn't try to fill every moment with talk. It was a nice change. Unfortunately, she was downright unstoppable when she wanted to know something. She knew when to talk, when to change the subject, when to nag and when to just sit in silence. That was annoying, but all in all, he found he was happier when she was in the room. It wasn't that he didn't like being with Hermione and Ron, he did, but with them there was rarely ever a moment of quiet.

With Hermione, they were only quiet when she was reading or studying. With Ron, they only times they weren't talking was when they were playing chess, and during the mornings after a Gryffindor house party where if you talked, the hung-over 6th and 7th year students would hex you. When you put the two together, they generally ended up yelling at each other. With Ginny, they could talk or they could just sit and enjoy being in the other's company.

'Ginny,' he said.

'Yeah,'

'Do you know why Ron's so pissed with me?' For a second she didn't reply then,

'He's jealous,'

'Of what?' Ginny sighed; Harry was so clueless.

'Of everything. Your fame, your money, your magical and political power, even your looks.'

'What the hell is he on?!' Harry said, annoyed. Ginny raised an eyebrow. 'You know what Muggle drugs are, right?'

'Right, I was going to say 'Hermione' but…' she trailed off grinning. Harry laughed and said,

'Only in his dreams.'

'Yeah probably, but I don't want to know about it.'

'You and me both,' Harry said, shuddering at the mental image of his best friends doing…that.

'So, who do you dream about Potter?' Two years ago he would have been embarrassed to be asked a question like that by Ginny, let alone answer one.

'Only you baby,' he said, lowering his voice and putting a hand over his heart. She rolled her eyes and shoved him. He returned the favor. Her eyes narrowed and she pushed him harder. He shoved her back. She smirked and Harry's eyes widened as she tackled him, pushing him onto his back and tickling him mercilessly.

'Ginny! Stop it! You swore you wouldn't- Gin!' he gasped. _Damn it! Why does she have to be one of the only ones who know I'm ticklish as well as the only one who'd do it! Damn, damn, damn!_

'Alright! That's it, screw gentlemanly.' He muttered, rolling them and tickling the part of her stomach that was exposed by her shirt, which had ridden up a few inches sometime during their…fight. Calling it a tickle fight sounded childish, which he supposed it was, but…

'Ha- Harry,' she gasped breathless from laughing, 'st- stop it! Your hands are cold!' Harry ignored her and focused on keeping one hand tickling her stomach as he leaned down further and blew gently on her neck. She giggled and squirmed out of his way.

Then her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on his chest, stopping him in his tracks, and pushed. Harry fell off her, landing flat on his back, and she rolled on top of him and fastened her legs around his waist, holding him down. It took a super human effort from Harry not to show his reaction to _that_. He grabbed her waist and pushed her again and they rolled, Harry ending up lying on top of her with everything below his waist in between her legs. She squealed, still laughing and gasping for breath.

'Harry!'

HPGW HPGW (Meanwhile) HPGW HPGW

'_Why's he lying to me!? I'm supposed to be his best friend!_' Ron thought, royally pissed with the Boy Who Lived. He scanned the common room for his other best friend, '_Where was she?_' He turned and grabbed a little blonde haired girl by the arm,

'Go get Hermione Granger, she's in the girls dorms,' the girl nodded frantically before scampering away to the girls dormitories, returning to the common room with a peeved-looking Hermione moments later.

'Thank you,' she said to the girl before facing Ron. 'What is this about, Ronald? I'm called down to the common room by a terrified first year that tells me that 'Harry Potter's friend wants me'. Explain.' Ron should have noticed the warning signs: the frosty glare and the use of his full given name, for instance. However, Ron, in typical form, did not and so launched into his tirade.

'Harry won't admit it. He keeps saying he didn't do it, acting like _I'm_ the one who's got something wrong him-' it was here that Hermione cut in.

'Do what?' she said icily.

'Put his name in the Gob-'

'That's probably because he didn't.'

'How else did his name get in the cup? Who else would put his name-?'

'Weren't you listening to Dumbledore? People have died in this tournament.'

'So? What's that got to do with anything?' Ron said, his voice rising.

'You really are as thick as a plank, Ronald,' Hermione's voice was going up, louder and higher, 'Can't you think of anyone who might want Harry dead, someone who has the skill to confuse the Goblet of Fire, someone who has at least one contact currently residing in this castle.'

'Yeah right, 'cause You-Know-Who could really get into the castle when it's got Dumbledore _and _Moody in it,' he said.

'You idiot! He has followers who do these things for him!'

'But there aren't any Death Eaters in Hogwarts, Hermione! Dumbledore would know if there were!'

'Maybe not! Dumbledore's not perfect you know! He doesn't have a built-in Death Eater radar!'

'You've always said to trust Dumbledore because he has the most experience and stuff! He's never been 'not perfect' 'till now!'

'And you've always said Snape was really a Death Eater! He's never _not_ been a suspect to you!'

'You've always said Snape was working for Dumbledore before!'

'There was never any reason to believe he wasn't before!'

'Have it your way then!'

'Have it what way?!'

'You can just change all your views and side with Harry _again_! Hell, now you're probably going to go up to his dorm to _comfort_ hi-'

CRACK!

The sound of Hermione's hand colliding with Ron's face resounded around the common room. No one moved. Hermione dropped her hand to her side, breathing heavily.

'How. Dare. You.' If she had been furious before, now she was incensed. Her voice could have turned the fiery pits of Hell to ice. 'If Harry says he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, then he didn't. When have you known him to lie to you?' she didn't wait for a response.

'Harry has been nothing but good to you! He's put up with you and your moods and your jealousy for three years without complaint. He hates his fame and his money! He hates how everything always happens to him and you still act like he goes looking for attention! You-'

'Fine. You're right.' Ron's voice was so quiet that if Hermione hadn't had to stop for a breath, it wouldn't have been heard. Hermione stopped.

'What?'

'I said, 'you're right'.' Then he walked over to the staircase and made his way up to the dorm room.

As he climbed, he thought. He would apologize to Harry. He would be a better friend to him. He owed it to Harry. He opened the door and began to speak,

'Listen, Harry-' he broke off. He couldn't believe it. There, right before his eyes, were his best mate and his little sister. Harry was lying (shirtless) on top of Ginny, with his hand up her shirt and his lips were an inch away from her neck. They legs were tangled together and Ginny's hands were all over Harry's chest. Her head was thrown back, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath. They both looked up at him, like deer caught in the headlights. They scrambled off each other, Ginny pulling her shirt back down as she did so.

Ron was furious. He turned and marched out of the dorm. Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. Harry grabbed his crumpled shirt and pushed open the door, scrambling down the staircase after Ron.

'Ron!' He yelled, frantically trying to pull on and button up his shirt as he went down the stairs. Not an easy task, as he soon found out. 'Ron!'

'Don't talk to me!'

'Ron!' Wait! It's not what you think, I swear-'

'What was it then?! What else could you _possibly_ have been doing that you just _had_ to have your hands up my sister's shirt!?' The common room went silent, everyone thinking the same thing; innocent little Harry, who'd never so much as _kissed_ a girl, had had his hands up a girl's shirt? And not just any girl, his best mate's sister, Ginny Weasley? Maybe he'd just wanted to piss off Ron? But that didn't sound like Harry. Harry would never use anyone, even with their permission, like that, let alone Ginny.

'I did _not_ have my hands up her shirt!'

'Fine! You had _one_ hand up her shirt! Same thing really! I didn't even see where your other hand was and I _don't_ want to know!'

'It was holding me up, idiot!'

'Ha! So you admit you were lying on top of her!'

'I never said I wasn't! Yes I was lying on top of her,' Ron blanched, 'but we were wrestling, you utter moron! Same as we _always_ do at the Burrow. Only it was on my bed instead of in the orchard or by the lake! It was completely innocent!'

'Didn't look that innocent! In fact it looked a lot like-'

'Ronald Weasley if you finish that sentence I will personally make sure you can never have children.' Ginny's voice cut over her brothers. Ron's face took on a pale green hue. That was below the belt. She continued,

'I hope you realize that when you accuse Harry of 'taking advantage me' or whatever it was you thought he was trying to do, you're also insinuating that I would allow myself to be taken advantage of. Or maybe you're trying to say that I'm a slut. Is that it?' Ron shook his head frantically.

'No! That's not what I meant! I-'

'So what did you mean Ronald?' Hermione asked, eyebrows raised, mouth pressed into a fine line. Ron floundered.

'Not that! I just- It looked like- I-'

'Enough! I don't want to hear it.' Hermione cut him off. 'Ginny, come on, let's get some sleep.' And with that she grabbed Ginny's arm and the two girls swept up the girls' staircase without a backwards glance.

'Well, it's nice to know what you think of me, mate.' Harry said, before he too headed to his dorm.

**A/N: What did you think? Worth continuing? Should be deleted from fanfiction? No, scratch that last. No flames please. **


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